Work Text:
because, i love you channie
—where Changbin doesn’t know how to confess to his hyung, and Félix comes to the rescue—
“Good morning.”
A knock on the door woke Felix up.
The Australian boy looked at the alarm clock and it read 7:30 a.m.
Who dare wake him up of his sleep at 7:30 in the fucking morning?!
“Yongbok.” There was another knock and Felix groaned against his pillow.
The door was open slowly until Changbin’s body figured appeared in the door frame.
Felix looked from under his pillow with only one eye open.
“Channie is already waiting for us.”
“I thought he didn’t like waking up early.” Felix argued back; his leader hated waking up early.
“Not when it comes to work.” Bin walked inside Felix’s room and sat on the edge of his bed. “He's been up since 5:00 am.”
Felix groaned again, that only meant Bang Chan was ready and set to finish the recording for their song today.
“Minho made breakfast, I just came to wake you up before Chan came in himself.”
Felix removed the pillow from his head and looked back at Changbin.
The older one had his cheeks red, eyes swollen and a little red. His smile seemed a little forced and his dimples weren’t showing at all.
“Are you okay?” Changbin was quick to look away and scratch the back of his head.
Something is definitely wrong.
Felix tilted his head sideways.
“What’s wrong?”
“I just didn’t get enough sleep last night.”
Felix knew it was a lie, he could tell by how Bin was avoiding eye contact.
“Changbin, are you sure?” The boy smiled while nodding, and he closed his eyes. Felix could tell he was suppressing something and was having a hard time doing so.
“Well, you get ready Yongbok, I’ll go set your plate on the table.”
Changbin stood without saying another word and left the room.
Felix reached for his phone and opened the conversation he had with Minho.
Minho, did something happen at breakfast today with Changbin?
Felix got a response when he was in the process of brushing his teeth.
Not that I know of. Han did mention that his cheeks were red and looked swollen.
Also, I haven’t seen him glued to Chan’s hip like he always is.
Felix read that last message and frowned. Changbin and Bang Chan weren’t glued to the hip like usual? There was something definitely wrong.
The blonde finished with his necessities, got dressed and went to the dining room, determined to find out what was going on between his leader and his best friend.
—Recording, 8:30 a.m—
“Good morning.” Felix greeted as he entered Chan’s room.
“Morning.”
Felix looked around the room and didn’t find Changbin. Then he looked back at Chan and saw his gaze set on the computer in front of him.
“Where’s Binnie?”
“He already did his first half, he went to get something to eat.” Chan didn’t disconnect his gaze from the computer at all when speaking. “He’ll do his other half whenever he comes back.”
Felix frowned but entered the room regardless.
Chan didn’t say anything else as Felix got ready.
Something was definitely going on, and Felix needed to know what.
“Binnie mentioned you were up early today, is everything okay?”
Finally, Bang Chan’s gaze was removed from the computer and placed on Felix.
“Why would he say that? Why does he care?” Chan frowned and his lips did a weird curl that Felix had never seen before. “He doesn’t have a right to say that.”
Woah, okay, there.
Felix raised his arms in surrender.
“Are you sure you good?” Christopher frowned at the change in language but nodded anyway.
“Yes, I’m fine.”
Felix dropped the subject, he wasn’t going to get anything off Bang Chan when he was like this.
Which made him wonder, how exactly was he?
He wasn’t angry, nor sad. He didn’t seem at all annoyed about waking up early, if his face was any hint of that. And he didn’t seem hungry, even when he barely ate any meals.
Felix walked into the recording room with those thoughts in mind, gaze set on Chan who kept instructing him on his singing.
Even his voice seemed shoken up.
Something definitely happened.
—12:30 p.m—
“Lunch is ready!”
Everyone began filling the living room from different directions.
Felix and Hyunjin came from the store with drinks and dessert. Han came from getting dressed after a workout. Jeongin and Seungmin came from taking a nap.
“Has anyone seen Changbin and Chan?” Han asked. Everyone gave him a look and Han felt like shrinking on his chair.
“I think they’re still recording.”
In that instant, as if being called upon, both men walked in the living room. Bang Chan had a long face and a frown so deep that his eyebrows looked like one instead of two.
Changbin, Felix noticed, was a little behind, his hands in his pockets and the hood of his hoodie over his head.
“Dinner is ready.” Minho said, trying to lighten up the tension that entered the room with them. “Hyunjin and Felix went to get drinks and dessert.”
Felix smiled at Changbin while he took a seat on one of the last two spaces left; next to Bang Chan.
Felix saw how he looked slightly at Bang and down at his hands. The blonde looked at him strangely and Bin seemed to feel his gaze because he looked up and met Felix’s gaze.
Changbin smiled weakly, and Felix raised an eyebrow. He looked at Chan and back at Changbin.
What’s wrong? He asked; he knew Bin could read lips easily.
Nothing. Felix read his lips saying.
Liar.
Sure, he looked fine. But his eyes said otherwise; they were puffy, like if he just finished crying, and his cheeks were red.
“Chan, how was the recording?” Felix asked, looking at his leader.
“All good.” The Australian answer after swallowing the food he has in his mouth. “Changbin finished his part.”
“‘Changbin’?” Felix raised an eyebrow. “What happened to ‘Binnie’?” Hyunjin choked on his food, Han started coughing and Minho had to hide his grin.
Jeongin and Seungmin were too sleepy to care about the conversation.
“I don’t know what you're talking about, Felix.”
“Sure, Christopher.” Bang Chan gave Felix an annoyed look but didn’t say anything back.
Changbin kicked Felix under the table.
Yongbok ignored it.
—
The rest of dinner went good, with Han making some very bad jokes and Minho trying to make him stop.
That was until, everything backfired.
And it all started with a simple question.
“Are we presenting the records in a small concert like we’ve done in the past?” Jeongin asked.
“Yeah, if you guys want.” Bang Chan looked at his phone while answering.
“That’ll be a great idea.” Felix chimed in, happy about the idea.
“Okay, then.” Chris put his phone down and went to grab his drink.
At the same time, Changbin went to grab his own but accidentally reached for the wrong one because he was busy talking to Han.
Their fingertips met and electricity ran through both their bodies at the same time.
Changbin looked towards Chan.
“I’m sorry.” Chan looked back at him, a frown on his face. He was going to get wrinkles if he kept frowning like that. Changbin smiled at his thought.
Although the smile was replaced by a sad one rather quickly.
“You need to be.” Chan snapped back.
The entire table went silent.
“Pay more attention to your surroundings, Changbin.”
Chan stood from the table, gave a bow to Minho as a thank you for the food, and left.
The entire table shot small gazes at Changbin who would only look down at the table.
“Bin-“ Changbin stood, before Felix could say anything. Gave Minho a small bow and without saying a word, he left too.
The people left at the table all looked at each other; all thinking the same thing.
“I’ll go talk to Chan.” Minho said as he stood.
“I’ll talk to Bin.” Felix stood as well.
“We’ll meet up in Minho’s room to talk about it.” Han said, and everyone else nodded.
So while Minho and Felix went to talk to their respectives hyungs, the rest of the members began cleaning the dinner table.
—
“Changbin.” Felix knocked on Bin’s door.
“He’s not here.” Chan’s voice came from inside.
Felix looked at Minho and nodded and left him to do his magic, like Jisung had called it.
“Hey, it’s Minho, can I come in?”
“Sure.”
Minho opened the door and saw Chan sitting in his bed, with his computer in front of him.
“Can we talk?” Chan raised his head up and looked at Minho.
“About?” Minho looked towards Bin’s side of the bed and saw it empty, just his pillows and blankets over it.
Minho swore he could hear Changbin’s laugh in the room even though he wasn’t there with them.
“Did something between Changbin and you?”
“Why?” Chan had his eyes on his computer, so Minho went up to him and closed it.
“Listen, this is serious.” Minho took the laptop away. “And not even work is saving you from this.”
Chan, with no choice in the matter, nodded and laid his back over the headboard and looked at Minho.
“Did something happen between the two of you?”
“No.”
“Are you sure?” Minho crossed his arms over his chest. “Whatever the hell happened at dinner says otherwise, Bang Chan.”
“I already apologized to Bin through a text.”
Minho had to hold the urge to hit him right there and then.
“And what did he say?”
“That it was okay, no biggie.”
“Are you stupid?” Chan fulminated Minho with his gaze. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Mr. Leader.” Chan rolled his eyes at the sarcasm. “But sometimes you have to be told things straight up.”
“What are you talking about?”
Was he serious? Was he the only one who hadn’t realized Changbin’s actions?
Was he really the only one who hasn’t seen Changbin’s true feelings?
Oh god, they had a dummy of a wolf as a leader.
“What’s so funny?”
“Honestly?” Minho looked up at Chan. “You are.”
“Minho, you're making no sense.”
“No, Chan.” Minho stood. “You’re making no sense.”
“But-“
“When you’re ready, 100%, to talk about your feelings, let me know.”
Chan had a confused look on his face.
“Otherwise, you're losing time Chan.” Minho opened the door. “He won’t wait for you forever.”
Minho left the room, leaving Chan with that sentence in his mind for the rest of the afternoon.
He won’t wait for you forever.
—A few minutes before—
Felix walked up the stairs that took him to the attic of their house.
If Changbin wasn’t anywhere near the first floor or with anyone else, he was in the attic; his escape place when he wanted to be alone.
Felix knocked on the trap door before slowly opening it.
The Australian boy heard some rustling and moving around and he couldn’t help but chuckle. Changbin always tried to hide his true self from them, but they didn’t understand why when they loved all and every part of him.
“It’s Yongbok.”
“Oh, come in.” Felix went up the remaining step of the ladder and closed the trap door after himself.
“I’ve been looking for you.” Felix walked over to where Changbin laid on a blue bean bag. Chan’s bean bag.
“Oh, something happened?”
“No, but I wanted to talk to you.” Felix took a seat on his own bean bag, which made him be face to face with Changbin.
“About?” Bin began collecting his papers from the ground and putting them in a folder.
“About Bang Chan.” Changbin’s face became pale.
“W-What about him?”
“I’m not going to pry into something that isn’t my business,” Felix could hear Hyunjin’s voice telling him: “But you are anyways, go on” and smiled. “But has something happened between you and Bang Chan?”
“N-No.” Bin’s voice broke.
“Are you sure?” Binnie looked towards the paper he had in front of him. Felix saw how his eyes got filled with tears.
“N-No…” Changbin began sobbing and Felix was at his side in a second.
“It’s okay, let it out.” Felix took the folder from the boy’s hands and placed it in the bean bag closest to them. Then he hugged Changbin tightly against his chest and held him.
“I-I don’t know what I-I d-did wrong, Fe-Felix.” Changbin tried explaining in between sobs. “B-But he w-won’t look at me t-the same, any-anymore.”
“What do you mean?” Felix caressed Bin’s hair. “Is he angry at you?”
“I-I don’t know.”
“Then, what’s wrong? Tell me.” Changbin cleared his throat before speaking.
“He won’t laugh w-with me anymore, and I’ve tried to make him laugh countless times, but he won’t budge.” Felix listened closely. “And he’s been working nonstop for the past weeks, we barely spend any time together.”
“He’s been busy with the new album.”
“B-but he’s never done this before.” Bin explained. “He wakes up early, goes to bed early; I barely see him in our dorm.”
“Well, Chan has a very messed up sleeping schedule, you know that.”
“I-I know, but…” Changbin cleaned off the tears that fell over his cheek. “I tried asking him about it.”
“And?”
“When I got close to him, he backed away.” Felix tilted his head sideways. “Like if being close to me made him sick for some reason.”
“Don’t say that.”
“That’s what it f-felt like.” Bin hiccuped. “And every time we accidentally touch, he always withdraws from my touch.”
Felix needed to admit, that was true. He had seen it at dinner, at the recording from the day before when Bin opened the door at the same time as Chan and their fingertips touched, and so many other times he hadn’t given any thought to.
Until now.
“A-And the truth is…” Changbin backed away from Felix’s hold.
“That you love him?” Bin’s cheeks became pink, even with the redness of the tears, and Felix knew he hit the bullseye. Or in this case, Changbin’s heart.
“Is it that obvious?”
“A little.” Changbin groaned and laid back again into Felix’s chest. “But don’t worry, I don’t think Chan knows.”
“So, everyone else knows?” Felix nodded.
“Don’t worry, we don’t hate it.” Changbin looked up at Felix. “I mean, at the moment we do, but you guys are the other half of each other, so it makes sense you two would go falling in love with one another.”
“You think he loves me too?”
Felix smiled at Changbin and placed a strand of his hair behind his ear. His thumb caressed Bin’s cheek and wiped away a dry tear.
“I know so.”
Changbin smiled weakly, his cheeks still red due to the crying and his eyes sore from the tears.
“Thank you, Yongbok.”
“You’re my best friend, I would go to the end of the world for my Dwaekki.”
Changbin hugged Felix tightly and held him for a few seconds.
In those seconds, Felix saw how one of the papers of the folder was falling off. It read “Because” on the top and Felix’s light bulb went off in his head.
“Changbin, do you want to confess to Chan?”
“I’ve been trying to think of a way to do so, but with the way he's been around me, it’s hard to talk to him.”
“I’ve got an idea.”
—Three Hours Later—
Changbin and Felix came to the living room to sit with the team to talk about next week’s small concert they were throwing for their new SKZ-Replay album.
Felix was laughing at something Changbin said and he held onto his arm and laid his head over his shoulder as they walked into the living room.
“There it is, I missed seeing that smile.” Hyunjin teased. Changbin blushed.
“Yeah Binnie, we were getting worried something was going on with our Dwaekki.”
“Don’t worry guys, we got it all resolved, right Binnie?” Felix locked his arm with Changbin’s and laid his head over his arm.
“That’s right, Felix.” Binnie cradled Felix’s hand and laid his own head over the Australian boy’s head.
Bang Chan began coughing and everyone looked back at him.
“We should get started if we want to finish early.”
Everyone nodded and began to open up their computers.
Minho looked at Chan with a raised eyebrow. Chan ignored him and began talking about the first idea for the concert.
By the end of the meeting, Changbin had leaned more and more into Felix’s space.
Hyunjin wasn’t bothered, he was used to both boys being close with each other, but Bang Chan seemed to think otherwise.
He kept shooting Felix a very annoyed look every single time he got a chance. And then, when Changbin would laugh, which made Felix laugh, his hands would grip the edge of the table tightly.
“And, that’s how it should end.” Jisung finished talking.
Bang Chan snapped back to reality, and had to look away from Felix whispering something to Changbin in his ear.
“I like it.” Bang Chan closed his laptop. “Well, that’s it then.”
“Awesome, my back was starting to hurt.”
“Jeongin, you're still too young to be saying that.” Teased Minho.
Felix’s laugh was heard again, and this time, Hyunjin’s was also added to it.
Everyone saw how while Felix held hands with his boyfriend, his other hand was still wrapped around Bin’s arm; his cheek resting over the bicep. His fingertips holding tightly onto Changbin’s bicep.
No one seemed to notice how Bang frowned and curled his lip up in annoyance.
Anyone except Minho.
—Two Weeks Later—
“Is everyone ready?”
The team nodded as Chan grabbed his microphone.
They stood on the platforms that would take them up to the stage and waited for the signal.
“Are you ready?” Felix asked Changbin.
“Nervous.”
“Everything's going to be fine.”
Changbin smiled at him sloppily, and Felix patted his arm.
Bang Chan noticed and groaned under his breath; something only Minho noticed.
The platforms began rising, so the eight members began getting ready.
Their first song was FAM, the Korean Version.
Once the platforms rose all the way up, Bang Chan began singing the first part of the song; thus the concert began.
—Half an Hour Later—
With eight bar stools spread out on the stage, the rhythm of “Because” began playing through the speakers.
The crowd began shouting when Felix got a microphone and when Changbin stood to sit next to Felix, which my default ended up being between the blonde and Hyunjin.
Felix began singing and Bin moved his body with the rhythm.
Bang couldn’t keep his eyes from Bin, who wouldn’t even spare a look at him due to the nerves he was feeling. Although, for Bang Chan, it meant that Bin was mad at him.
Which wasn’t the case.
But if it was, Chan would understand. After all, he did treat him badly the past few weeks.
And honestly, it wasn’t entirely either of their faults. If only Bang Chan knew how to express his feelings and process them without being so confused would have been so much better.
And add to the fact that he’s been so busy with the new album and the recordings, he has barely slept any hours, and that made him very grumpy.
Grumpy to the point of taking out his frustration on the one person who, for starters, was always good to him.
When Bin began singing his part, Bang Chan needed to steady himself on the barstool. His heart couldn’t stop beating in his chest, and the way his hands started sweating, it made him feel sick
But it wasn’t like a fever sick, it was a weird sick because it made him feel warm, and calm, and so so so happy, he might explode if he didn’t get some of it out.
Minho, who sat at his side, realized his struggle and reached for his hand and squeezed it.
It’s okay. He mumbled only for Chan to hear.
“Minho, can we talk?”
Minho, who sat with Jisung on his lap while watching a tv reality show called ATEEZ-Core, looked up at his leader.
“A serious talk, or a “I’m going to lie about my feelings until I can’t hold it anymore” talk?” Jisung broke out laughing. Chan groaned but bowed to Minho in an act of desperation.
“Please, I’m willing to finally be completely honest.”
Jisung was going to laugh again, but Minho slapped in his arm to stop him.
“Don’t do that, hyung.” Minho paused the show and stood, making Jisung stand to sit on the couch. “There is no need for that.”
Chan looked up and Minho smiled at him.
“Come on, let’s go for a walk.”
—
Chan waited for Minho outside the dorm he shared with Hyunjin.
“Alright Hyunjin, I’ll be back.” The door was opened and Minho appeared. “Defrost the chicken for me please, I have to cook when I come back.”
“Okay!”
Minho closed the door and saw Bang Chan standing outside.
“So, what do you want to talk about?”
“Should we go out first?” Chan asked, his hands shaking.
“Don’t worry, he’s not here.” Minho walked down the hallway. “He went out with Jeongin and Seungmin for lunch.”
“Oh, okay.” That seemed to calm him down, so Minho decided not to tell him that in fact, Changbin was still sleeping in the dorm and that it was actually Felix who went out with Jeongin and Seungmin.
“Want some water?”
“Sure.”
Minho grabbed two bottles and they both made their way outside.
—
“So.” Minho looked at Bang Chan while they walked down the road to the store.
“I’ve been thinking a lot of what you said last week.”
“What exactly? I said many things.”
Chan looked at Minho and he just grinned at him.
“The part where you specified he wasn’t going to wait for me forever.”
“Oh, yeah.” Minho nodded, a hand under his chin. “That was a lie, he would wait for you forever.”
Chan gave him a serious look, then a troubled one, then a puzzled one.
“Listen, I just said that because I needed you to realize your feelings.” Chan looked down at the ground. “Did it work?”
“That's the thing, I don’t know.”
“Why?”
“Because I still see him the same way I do, but now I just see them more deeply.”
Minho really needed to hit him with something.
“Christopher.”
“Please, don’t call me like that, it's weird.”
“Christopher Bang, I think you are the most difficult and impossible person I’ve ever met.”
“Minho, that isn’t helping.”
“And I know Han Jisung.”
“Minho…”
Minho couldn’t keep it together anymore and began laughing.
“If you were going to laugh, I wouldn’t have bothered asking for your help.” Chan turned on his heel, decided to return back to the house and drown in his misery by eating an entire container of ice cream.
“Sorry, sorry.” Minho took his wrist.
Bang Chan turned back around, his gaze on the floor.
“Chan, why do you think you still see him the same way?”
“Because he's my friend?”
Okay, Minho needed to find something; a sandal, a shoe, a stick, a mop! Anything! To hit him in the head with it.
Too much music was hurting his brain.
“No, Chan.” Minho massaged his temples. Patience, he needed patience. “Christopher Bang, when you see him, what do you feel?”
“I feel… delighted.” Minho nodded, and encouraged him to continue. “Delighted because he's in the room, because I can see his smile, because I can hear his laugh.”
“Mhm, what else?”
“I feel happy because he's around; he always brings me my favorite drinks or a cup of ice cream when I’m working in the recording studio.” Chan smiled. “And he makes me laugh, which always makes me feel better when I’m tired from work, or just frustrated with something.”
“Mhm, what else?”
“And I just love having him around.” Chan lifted his head up and met Minho’s eyes. “Even when we’re not talking, his presence alone is enough to make me feel complete, calm, and happy.”
“Chan, do you know what that is?” Minho placed his index finger over Chan’s heart.
“That I’m happy to have him?”
“More than that.”
“That-” Minho saw the excuse pass right through Chan’s eyes.
“That you love him.” Chan’s mouth opened and closed, like fish out of the sea. “That you love him, and that you have always loved him because he's the other half of you, and it was inevitable for the two of you not to fall in love with each other.”
They both went quiet after that.
Chan realized something.
Minho was right; he loved Changbin.
He loved him in every sense of the word, in every single version of himself, in every single point of view, and in every single moment.
He loved everything about him, from his hair, his eyes, his smile, his cheeks. To the muscular body, short height, and loud laugh.
Every single thing about Seo Changbin, Chan loved with his entire heart.
And always had.
“Now you see it, don’t you?”
“Yes, yes I do.”
Minho saw how Chan’s expression suddenly shifted.
“You were scared weren’t you?” Chan began sobbing. Minho hugged him. “It’s okay to be scared, Chan.”
“I-Is it?”
“Yes, because that means you're human.” Minho caressed Chan’s hair to comfort him. “And humans need to be scared to surpass their fears.”
“I-I-“
“I know, Chan.” Minho took a step back and looked at Chan in the face. “I was scared too.”
“You were?” Minho nodded while he cleaned Bang’s tears off his cheeks.
“I was scared he wasn’t going to love me back, that he would think I was weird, that I wasn’t enough.”
Chan, recognizing all these same feelings, finished Minho’s last thought.
“That he would leave you.”
“Yeah, exactly.”
“I understand now.”
“Good.” Minho cleaned his leader's face. “Now, let’s wash your face and go back home where you're going to go see Changbin and tell him how sorry you are for treating him how you did and everything will go back to normal once you confess to each other, am I understood?”
“Yes, sir!” Bang did a military salute and Minho rolled his eyes. “You know, to be someone who doesn’t like to talk much, you sure did give me a good pep talk.”
“Yeah, I know.” Minho opened his water bottle. “My throat is dry.”
Chan laughed, a genuine laugh, and Minho felt accomplished.
“Chan remember,” Chan stopped laughing. “It’s okay to feel this way, okay?”
“It’s okay.” Minho nodded and they left the topic at that.
Both continued with their walk, only stopping at the store for some snacks and returned back home.
“It’s okay.” Minho repeated on Chan’s ear so he could hear him more clearly.
“I know.” Chan gave him a thumbs up.
Changbin was almost done with the second part of the song, and that meant Felix was about to sing the end.
But Chan didn’t see Felix stand up like they practiced and that worried him.
He went to stand to check on him, but Minho stopped him from doing so.
“Stay.” Chan looked down at Minho; whether it was because he was telling him not to go, or because he just talked to him as if he was a dog, nobody would ever know.
But Chan sat back down.
And Changbin stood.
And Christopher Bang felt his world stop.
“I just really love you.” Bin began singing Felix’s part. “You're the only reason why I really love you.”
Chan locked eyes with Changbin and felt his heart drop to his feet.
“When I see you smile, I just can’t get enough.” Bin started walking towards him, all eyes on them, and Chan felt his breathing stop.
“And I can’t live without you.” Chan saw Binnie walk up to him and take a seat in the empty barstool next to him.
Wait, empty?
Bang Chan looked at where Minho was once seated, and saw him sitting one barstool over to the right.
“Baby, I just really love you.”
Changbin ended the song with taking a seat next to Chan and taking his hand in his.
“Because, I just really love you, Channie.” Changbin whispered in his ear, just for him to hear.
And Minho, who was sitting next to them.
The crowd erupted in screams and shouts and without previous warning, the next song began playing.
The rhythm of Drive began, and Minho stood.
“We’ll talk about this after the concert.” Chan whispered to Changbin. “But,” The Australian leaned in and placed a kiss over the youngest lips. “I love you too, Binnie.”
Changbin’s cheeks turned red.
Chan smiled at that and went to the front of the stage with Minho to sing his part.
“You're going to be in so much trouble for this.” Hyunjin mumbled to his boyfriend.
“Worth every penny.” Felix answered back while he saw how Changbin’s gaze was fixated on Chan’s back as he sang, a smile on his lips and sparks on his eyes.
Worth every single penny.
—Three Hours Later—
Everyone tiptoed to 2RACHA’s bedroom.
“Do not step on me, Han Jisung.” Hyunjin looked back at the younger and Han just grinned at him.
“Hey, no fighting.” Minho grabbed Han’s hand and pulled him closed. “And stop talking, I can’t hear.”
They all stood at the door of the dorm, to which Changbin and Bang Chan had just walked into, and had their ears against the door.
Inside, Changbin sat in his bed while Bang sat on his own. Their bags were still undone and they still had their sweaty clothes on.
It was awkward; not bad awkward, but a “I don’t know how to start this conversation” awkward.
“Changbin-“
“Bang-“
They both spoke at the same time.
Minho facepalm his forehead.
“You go first, Binnie.”
“Okay.” Changbin looked down at his fingers, which he kept moving due to the nerves. “I like you.”
“I kind of got that cleared out.” Bin laughed and the atmosphere became more calm.
“Well, I just wanted to make sure, in case you were still clueless.”
“I wasn’t clueless.” Chan snapped back. “I’m just a little slow.”
“You were clueless.” Changbin said.
You were definitely clueless, Channie. Minho thought.
“I wasn’t.” Chan grabbed one of his pillows and threw it at Changbin. The boy dodged it and jumped over to Chan’s bed.
“Yes, you were.” Changbin tickled him and trapped him against the bed.
“Stop!” Chan said between laughs. “Please, stop.” His laugh became louder and Changbin couldn’t help but laugh too.
Minho felt so happy he was about to cry.
“Okay, okay.” Changbin stopped, for Chan’s mercy.
“Thank you.” Chan propped himself up with his elbows and looked up at his youngest. “Now it’s your turn.”
“No!” Chan tackled Bin, making both fall to the floor, and began tickling him.
“No, please!” Bin pleaded. “Have mercy on me!” Chan began laughing so much his attacks became weak, therefore Changbin took the opportunity to grab his wrist and stop him.
“Hey, no fair.” Bin smiled and leaned in.
Their lips met again on a kiss, and the world around them seemed to stop.
It was just them; Changbin and Bang Chan, against the rest of the world.
And that was okay.
“Changbin.”
“Mmm?”
They still had their eyes closed, faces still centimeters away from each other, breaths hitting each other’s faces.
“I just really love you, you’re the only reason why I really love you.”
Bang Chan began singing.
“When I see you smile, I just can’t get enough.”
Changbin felt his heart flutter with happiness.
“And I can’t live without you.”
“Baby, I just really love you.”
Changbin opened his eyes in time to see Bang smile at him softly from above.
“I love you, Channie.”
“I love you too, Binnie.”
When I see you smile there’s nothing more I could ask for
Cause I just really like you
You can lean on me until your cloud of worries disappears from your clear eyes
I’d rather hurt instead of you, seeing you smile makes me happy
“Because”
-Felix, Changbin (Stray Kids)